My Boston Citizenship Interview Experience
My Citizenship interview was scheduled for 10:30 AM on Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at the BCIS Boston District Office.
The interview letter clearly mentioned in
bold not to arrive any earlier than 30 minutes before the scheduled interview time, due to limited seating at the interview waiting room. But I decided to arrive an hour early anyway, so that I'm not late due to traffic, or other service interruptions at the Boston Subway ('T'). Also, the security checks to enter the building can take a while, although that day the line was relatively small, and took only 10 minutes to clear security.
My wife, who is already a US citizen and is originally from India, accompanied me. My Citizenship was based on marriage to a US Citizen for 3 years.
Once we (me and my wife) entered the building and cleared security, there was still an hour left for the scheduled interview time. So we decided to wait at the lobby of the JFK Federal Building, that had several chairs. We did notice some people entering the interview waiting room, even though they had an hour left for their scheduled interview time. We didn't want to go to the interview waiting room, that early.
When it was 9:45 AM, I decided to enter the interview waiting room (Room No. E-170 in the JFK Federal Building, which is located in the first floor, next to the lobby). The security guard checked my interview appointment form for date and time, then directed us to a reception desk in that room.
I showed the interview appointment form to the person sitting behind the reception desk, and he asked me if I was being represented by an Attorney. I said no. Then he took the form and asked me to wait. He was asking this same question to every person he was taking appointment forms from. A little later he took the form, and went through a door secured by a combination code lock. I think he just gave it to one of the Immigration Officers.
We saw people being called every few minutes. I was reviewing my American History and Civic questions at that time.
I did go well prepared with documents for the interview. I made colored photocopies (although not required, black and white photocopies are good enough) of every document that applied to me, and listed in the
"Naturalization Interview Document Checklist". This form was included with the interview appointment form.
I also studied for the exam (basically the 100 sample questions), and practised all the exams in these two FREE sites:
http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/exec/natz/natztest.asp - This is the BCIS practice exam.
http://aenet.esuhsd.org/Citizenship_lessons/Citizen/prep.html - This is an excellent FREE site, with practice exams, and interview preparation.
Finally, at around 10:25 AM, a white lady in her early to mid fifties called my name. I got up and went to her. While I got up, my wife was smiling, and wished me good luck. The lady saw my wife. She told me to wait in Room 10. That's her office. The BCIS Boston District Office has several such offices linked from a corridor. They are all numbered.
I went to Room 10 and stood there. I didn't sit down, because I knew I'll have to raise my right hand and take an oath.
A minute later, she entered Room 10 and introduced herself to me as Susan Coller. I also saw her name plate on the door of Room 10, and on her desk. She is a District Adjudication Officer (probably a senior one, because another Adjudication Officer came to her office while I was being interviewed, and asked her for advice on a case). She then told me to raise my right hand and then said, "I'll say the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." I said, "I do." She then asked me to sit.
It is important to mention that this lady (Susan Coller) was extremely polite and friendly from the very beginning. I didn't even feel like I was in an interview. She did have a British accent. After the interview, when I asked her if she was Irish (since most of the Boston area is filled with people of Irish and Italian decent), she said no, she was English. She was clearly a first generation English immigrant with her heavy, but very clear English accent.
After I sat down, she typed something into the computer (probably pulling up my case), and asked me my name. I told her my full name, as in the application, without any initials. She asked me if I wanted to change my name, I said no.
She then asked me to show my Green Card and Passport, and I gave them to her. She never looked at the Passport. She took a peak at the Green Card.
She then started asking a few general questions from the N-400 application. I answered them.
She then asked me about my tax returns. I gave her the last 4 years' tax return transcripts, and the original letter 1722 with an IRS stamp on each page. She wanted to make copies of it, but I said she could keep them, since I have more copies.
She wanted to see my wife's US passport, and I showed it to her. Without even asking me if I had copies, she started making copies of my wife's US Passport. When I saw that, I told her that I have copies, and gave her the colored photocopies I made at Kinko's. This lady (Susan) was very polite and nice. Although she didn't ask for it, I also showed her my wife's Naturalization Certificate.
She never asked to see the marriage certificate, driver's license, or any proof of address, no questions about Selective Service.
She then took a paper with 10 Citizenship questions on it. She gave me the paper and told me to read the first question. I did. All the questions were from the 100 sample questions. She then told me to write the sentence "I am in Boston." I wrote it. She then started asking me questions from that paper. After asking only 5 questions (all of which I answered correctly), she didn't ask me any more questions. She then told me I passed the Citizenship and English tests, but she needs to get her boss' signature before she can approve the case.
She came back 10 minutes later and apologized for the delay. I said that was okay, but again, I found it very professional and polite that she apologized for keeping me waiting. She then took a red seal and put "APPROVED" on my application. She also told me that my Oath letter will me handed in a few minutes, and to wait outside. I thanked her and told her, she was a very nice person.
While I was waiting outside, she came back again, and told me that I had to sign my whole name in the signature. There can be no abbreviations even in the signature. It has to exactly match the full name. So, I did sign again. She was again nice enough to admit that it was her fault, because I did double check with her when I signed, and she said it was okay then. She went back in again.
A few minutes later, a man came (he was earlier working at the reception) with a green form. That is the Oath letter. My name is handwritten in red on the letter, followed by the words "by hand". The date and address of the Oath Ceremony are printed on the letter.
My Citizenship Oath Ceremony is at Faneuil Hall in Boston, at
10:15 AM on Thursday, August 21, 2003.
I was really glad to get the letter by hand that day, for two reasons:
1. I'll be moving on September 1, 2003. But by becoming a Naturalized US Citizen on August 21, 2003, I won't have to report any Change of Addresses to BCIS, ever again!
2. Some people do get the Oath letter by mail (usually after 2 months), even in Boston, depending on their case, and the Immigration Officer interviewing them. If my Oath letter was mailed, and BCIS didn't update my address properly after I moved, it might have ended up in my old address, and I might not have received it! That was a lot for me to worry about.
So, thank God I got the Oath letter the same day.
I was very lucky to get such a nice Immigration Officer. Although I found all the Officers I dealt with at the Boston District Office, to be very professional. Overall, it is a good BCIS office.
Depending on the location of the BCIS office, and the particular immigration officer's background, peoples' experiences will vary.
My experience with BCIS ended with a positive note. I am hopeful they'll improve. And I'm proud to be an American!! (The Officer did make me read and sign the oath in the N-400 application.)
I guess I'll do that again in the Naturalization Ceremony.
This forum is without any doubt the best US Immigration related forum. I have used information given by other members in this forum quite a few times, and thought it was only fair I post my own experience to return a favor.
The
actual experience posts in this forum have given me a lot of relevant information, and in many cases, relieved me from unnecessarily worrying.
If there are any questions, feel free to ask them, and I'll try to answer them.
Good luck to all!
